Behold

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.' Luke 1:38, NAB

In my Advent devotional today, the referenced Gospel reading comes from Luke 1:26-38.  We're told the angel Gabriel comes to Mary with a somewhat troubling greeting – “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you” – as well as an overwhelmingly stunning announcement: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” (Luke 1:28; 30-32;35, NAB)

Can you even imagine? Being visited by an angel is jaw-dropping enough of an experience. But to be given a message such as the one which Gabriel delivered to this young, already betrothed virgin from Nazareth? Well, it’s hard to fathom. Especially considering the consequences for birthing a child sans the benefit of marriage back in those days and in that locale were, at the very least, to be shunned by fiancé, family and friends, or worse: to be stoned to death.

Yet Mary doesn’t run and try to hide from the angel Gabriel’s presence (that would probably be my initial reaction); she doesn’t try to deflect and tell him that he’s got the wrong gal (me, again!), nor does she ask him to wait or to come back after she’s had time to consult with her parents, with Joseph or with her friends. No, after asking only one (one!!) question out of her youthful innocence, Mary’s humble, courageous response is this: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38, ERV)

Today, where is God calling you to go? How is He calling you to be His conduit, His ambassador, His instrument and to be present in the lives of others? What is He calling you to carry, to birth, to nurture? To whom is God calling you to serve, to encourage, to console, to love, to forgive?

Dear ones, as this season of preparation winds down, and the celebration of our Savior's birth draws near, keep your eyes, ears and heart open for what God is looking to do in and with your life, and consider what YOUR response might be, no matter how troubling or astonishing His calling may sound. And don’t be afraid.

Prayer For The Wounded and Broken

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ~ Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

'Broken Life,' by Frenkyyy, @ deviantArt

Jesus -- in humility, we come before You, broken. Hurting.  Bleeding profusely. And begging desperately:  Please, Lord....heal us of our wounds today.

And may the scars that remain become our sacred badges of honor. Not badges we point to, bragging of and showing off to others in a prideful manner, but instead, may these sacred scars remind us -- not in a condemning way -- 

of who and what we once were

of where we came from

And....

of who and what we are today

of where we are now

of how far we've come

All because of You and Your 

amazing grace

unfailing love

new and tender mercies

and Your never-ending, sweet forgiveness of our sins towards You

For it is by Your wounds, Jesus, that

We Are Healed!

'Total Abandon,' by Chris Bradley

NOTE: May the words and music from this song, as well as the image of Jesus created in this video by Jesus Painter's Mike Lewis, help to bless, encourage and bring healing to your wounded heart, mind and spirit

("By His Wounds," sung by Steven Curtis Chapman, Mac Powell, Brian Littrell & Mark Hall, from the 'Glory Revealed' CD)

The Bondservant's Way

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It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. ~ John 13:1

Feet.  Would you agree they're fairly essential body parts? Without them, we’d be hard pressed to stand, walk, run, ski, rollerblade. Kicking a ball might prove difficult.

But honestly – feet can be ugly. And smelly.

Granted, there are some women who were just born with dainty little photogenic feet. They probably have no need to scrape and slough them with pumice stones, to spritz them with perfume, or to slather them with Intense Skin Repair Lotion with Shea Butter on a daily basis.  But some of us do.

Then there are those of us who enjoy decorating our feet with brightly colored nail polishes, rhinestones, toe rings, tattoos, etc. 

And c’mon, who doesn’t love pudgy, smooth-as-silk, baby lotion scented tiny, little baby feet?

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Guys – sorry, but it seems you all are pretty much stuck with those Fred Flintstone appendages of yours. If you indulge in any of the aforementioned activities, that’s fine, but please keep it to yourselves. I really don’t want to know.

Our socks and shoes protect our feet from the elements and the environment. We have so many types and styles available for every season, event and activity. But back in the day – Jesus’ day – not so much. You had your basic leather sandals or else you went barefoot. Either way, that made for some extremely dry and dusty, filthy and funky smelling feet.

And yet, one evening long ago in an upper room, as Jesus and His disciples were in the midst of their Passover meal, their final meal together, these were the very body parts that Jesus chose to attend to at that moment.  Not their hands or their faces. But their feet. Their dirty, dry, disgusting feet.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ~ John 13:2-5

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In those days, the custom of foot washing was a courteous, hospitable gesture done for a person's house guests. The host would provide the water and the other necessary items, as well as the servant to take care of the guests. The servant performing this task was known as a doulos, the Greek term for bondservant, the lowliest of the low. And a bondservant was the role that Jesus -- Son of God, King of Kings, the Anointed One and Messiah – was born to play.

Jesus, the One the disciples called ‘Master’ and ‘Teacher,’ was showing these men another side of Himself. A tender, loving, compassionate and very HUMBLE side.  As Jesus washed the feet of each of His disciples – and please keep in mind that included Judas, the one who would betray Him MINUTES later – His actions displayed pure and uncensored agape love. Redeeming love. Humble love. Jesus began to take on a new form to His friends.

He was now their bondservant.

When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. ~ John 13:12-17

Why would Jesus do something like this? Something so lowly, humiliating, perhaps even embarrassing and obviously uncomfortable for the Twelve.  Why? After all, Jesus was the Son of God. Throughout all four Gospels, people were either throwing themselves at His feet; laying things and people at His feet; or sitting at His feet.  Yet here, we find Jesus exchanging that posture, placing Himself at the feet of others.

He explains His actions in verses 14- 15: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”  Jesus wanted them to learn humility and loving service to others. And not just to learn and know these things, but to take action.

The world – our world – aspires to pride, domination and entitlement, no doubt more so today than it did back then. But Jesus wanted to show His disciples, His friends, as He longs to show us now, another way. A better way. His way. The Bondservant's way.

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” ~ John 13:8

Will you let Him? On this Maundy or Holy Thursday, will you find a quiet place of solitude, and take some time with Jesus? Will you allow Jesus to humbly kneel before you today and wash your feet? Will you refrain from being embarrassed and uncomfortable and crying out like Peter did, “No, You shall never wash my feet!”

And then, will you humble yourself even further, look around and ask yourself this next question:

‘Whose feet do I need to wash?’

The Great Christmas War

As usual, I'm the gal with more questions than answers. So here I am with some questions. Questions some may not care for. If you believe you fall into that category, feel free to stop reading here.

Questions like: Why are we, as Christians, so angry and mean when people wish us Happy Holidays? Why are we so over-the-top insistent that others MUST respond in kind to our well wishes of "Merry Christmas!?" All this War on Christmas stuff has seriously begun to just drive me bonkers. 

Why do we expect people who don't know, don't love, don't care about and aren't interested in living their lives for Jesus the rest of the year, to suddenly ACT like they do during this time of year?  Let's be honest: When we ourselves wish people at stores, in restaurants, at the bank, at our workplace or schools, in our neighborhoods a "Merry Christmas"....are we really talking about Christ's birthday (incidentally, the exact, honest-to-goodness date NO ONE really knows), are we really wishing them a truly joy-filled celebration of this special, holy day, or are we merely referring to the commercialized, Santa-driven, Ho-Ho-Ho-holiday? 

C'mon now -- is THIS what Jesus meant by commanding us to share the 'Good News' with everyone? I doubt it.

We boycott stores who make their employees use the generic 'Happy Holidays' greeting, or who use it in their advertising, and encourage everyone in our like-minded little circle to do the same (ahhh, now THERE'S a loving, Christ-like thing to do). We slap those not quite so subtle, self-righteous bumper stickers onto the backs of our vehicles, letting every traveler behind us know that WE say 'Merry Christmas,' and if we offend you, well....too bad. 

We sing songs with titles like 'Love Came Down At Christmas,' yet we're showing anything BUT love to those who do not, and, in the case of those whose jobs policy clearly states so, CANNOT wish us, the curmudgeonly consumer, a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Where's the love of Christ here, folks? 

Growing up in the '60s, I remember going Christmas shopping with my mom and dad (because, yes, we celebrated Christmas), and having the salesclerks and cashiers wish them either a 'Merry Christmas' or 'Seasons Greetings.'  I never recalled my mother getting offended and leaving the store in a huff, or dashing off angry letters to the editor or to local congressmen.

And while I'm on the subject -- I'm just wondering here....why am I not reading anything from the Jewish community about how they are up in arms because people are wishing them 'Happy Holidays?' Where are the 'WE say Happy Channukah!' bumper stickers and buttons? 

Again -- these are merely the somewhat crazy musings that go through my oft overcrowded head on any given day. I'm, as they say, 'just sayin.'  

Perhaps -- and this is just a humble suggestion -- the better thing for us to do during this most wonderful time of the year, as people who want the world to know that we live for and love Jesus Christ, is to stop worrying about people's choice of wording and just treat others with the love of Jesus:

• Smile and strike up a conversation with the bored-looking teen with multiple tattoos and body piercings and tri-colored hair, standing behind the register. It won't cost you a thing and you might be pleasantly surprised 

• Offer to bring a hot cup of coffee or tea to the frozen looking Salvation Army volunteer who has been standing outside, ringing their bell in the cold for hours

• Look the tired and overwhelmed salesclerk in the eyes and ask them how they're doing -- and then really wait around for them to answer

• Let someone go ahead of you in line, especially if they have more items than they have hands

• When eating out, be sure to ask your waiter or waitress their name, if they don't tell you at the get-go; engage in actual conversation with them, not just the usual, "more coffee, please," and "you can bring the check now." And DO leave a generous tip, whether or not you believe they're in line for a 'Server of the Year' award. A bit of grace goes a long way. Make them look forward to having you come back, especially if you're a regular

• If you're the shy and silent type, anonymously pay for that fellow diner patron who sits at the counter, alone

• Smile and offer sincere thanks those who serve you and your family: from gas station attendants to Fed Ex delivery people; from your children's teachers to the guy down the street who shovels the snow off your sidewalk, free of charge and without your ever having to ask

I'm convinced if we slowed down, took the time and gave it some thought, we could come up with many more simple, yet sweet ideas for gift giving -- the gift of Christ's love to someone who we aren't sure has ever experienced it, through the Christmas season and beyond.

And for heaven's sake -- if you feel THAT irritated when someone wishes you 'Happy Holidays,' ask them what holiday they celebrate. If they say Christmas, say, "Hey, me, too!" If they say something else, wish them a Happy Whateveritis.  It takes less than ten seconds (believe me, I know -- I've tried it and timed it). And don't take it personally if their response is less than merry or jolly. Once, I asked my doctor's receptionist what she celebrated. She glared at me and responded, "I don't celebrate ANYTHING." So I told her, "Well, Faith -- then have a wonderful day!"  Faith's face softened a bit as she replied, "Thanks," and turned away.  

In the Great Christmas War, love, mercy, grace and humility can be our strongest 'weapons.' 

'Every Knee Shall Bow,' by Gaye Frances Willard

How do you feel about this and where do you stand on this topic? I'd love to hear from you.

Christmas Eve, 2AM/Heavy snow is falling down/And the streets clothed in white/Echo songs that were sung by candlelight/We're alive/we can breathe/But do we really care for this world in need?/There's a choice we must make each and every day.....~ When Love Came Down, by Point of Grace

Worship Song Sunday -- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, by Chris Rice

O Root of Jesse, You stand as a signal for the people; before You, Kings shall fall silent and to You, the nations shall make their prayer: Come to deliver us, and do not delay! ~ from the Antiphons of Advent

Today is the first Sunday in the Advent season.  

Advent photo, Cheryle Kupsch Photography

Advent is derived from the Latin word, adventus, which means ‘coming.’  It’s a time of eager anticipation as we not only prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth, but as we prepare for His Second coming as well.

Right now, preparation of any kind seems like a daunting task for me, as lately I have felt like one huge walking, talking, cluttered mess.  So many needless, foolish, dark and broken things are piled high and packed full into the storage rooms of my heart, mind and spirit. Wretched and useless things I'd much rather keep hidden away and avoid, but nonetheless, things that need to be purged and cleansed.  I NEED to make room for Jesus.

I so want these next several weeks before Christmas -- which are often extremely hectic weeks -- to be a time of sweet, holy joy and peaceful, purposeful contemplation on the things in this life that matter: of God-with-us, of family near and far, of friends and strangers in need, of making the fruits of the Spirit available to whomever I meet. 

As a people-pleasing, ‘everything-has-to-be-perfect’ kind of gal, I feel somewhat overwhelmed by this. Like some lone, inexperienced maid, asked to clean a castle from top to bottom in a mere few days to prepare for the coming of a very special, extraordinary King.

And yet -- I must remember that, although Jesus is a King, He humbled Himself and came to this earth in human form, a small, helpless Infant born into the lowliest of circumstances: in an ordinary stable among cows, sheep, goats and donkeys; drawn out of the birth canal and held first in the rough-hewn hands of His earthly father, an ordinary carpenter; wrapped in rags by His young, exhausted, not-yet-wed mother, an ordinary village girl; placed reverently and lovingly onto the smelly, and no doubt dirty, straw in an ordinary feeding trough for the barn animals.

  

Our Hope -- surrounded by and swaddled in humility.

The condition of my heart, spirit and mind….no, they’re certainly not perfect. But this Christ, this King – He is not looking for House Beautiful here, ready to perform the white glove test on me. And thankfully not, for I would surely fail!! No, I believe He is seeking only to be able to daily enter into my welcoming, humble heart; longing to heal my continually broken and contrite spirit, desiring to consistently guard my mind, always in need of renewal, with God’s peace.  

This year, in my search for a song to use that would not only suffice as a song of worship, but a song that would well represent the beginning of the Advent season, as well as my own, personal Advent journey, I came across a site that listed this song, 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,' as one which was used in someone's church during the Advent season.  I thought to myself, 'Really? THIS song?' It didn't really strike me as 'adventy' or even 'Christmasy' (and are these even real words I'm using here?).  

And yet, upon listening to it after being given a holy 'nudge' to write this post, I think it's a 'perfect fit.'  

May this song inspire, comfort and encourage you, dear one, as you perhaps begin your own Advent journey today......

And then Isaiah says: 'There shall be a root of Jesse; and He Who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.'  May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope.' ~ Romans 15:12-13, (J.B. Phillips New Testament)

The Solitary Chair -- Reflections From The Upper Room

Jesus Washing The Feet of His Disciples, by Albert Edelfelt

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.  After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 


“No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.”


Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” ~ John 13:3-8, NIV

On the church calendar, today is known as Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, commemorating Jesus’ last supper with His disciples.  In the upper room that night before they ate, Jesus humbled Himself and did something shocking for His friends -- He washed their feet.  The ever impetuous Peter instantly balked at the mere thought of such a thing.


How would we feel, if Jesus came to us with basin and towel in hand?  I wondered….and felt moved to write about it.

The Solitary Chair

In my heart's home and my mind's eye, there is
a room;
A room with two chairs in which You wait for me
Each day.


You call my name......


Some days I come to You,
Some days I pass on by;
Too busy.


Or pretending I don't hear......


Today, Your voice invites
Me to
Come and spend some time
with You.


As I step through the door I see
a chair;
A solitary, lonely chair.

You smile and welcome me
to sit;
A towel is wrapped around
Your waist.


You hold a basin filled
with water;
Steam rising from it to
Your face.


I hesitate......


Confused
Unsure
Anxious


What is this that You have for me?


But to the chair I walk
and sit.....


Now with a look of compassion upon Your face,
for me,
A look which I just 
cannot comprehend, 


You kneel 
before me! 


Taking my feet --
My dry, dirty, shoeless, 
ugly feet --
Into Your beautiful, gentle, yet
powerful hands, 


And place them in
the basin.....

"OH NO!," I cry,
I don't deserve such honor, such tenderness;
I don't deserve such love from You,
Almighty King.


I am shaken
Humbled
Embarrassed even.


But there You are......


Choosing to take on the role
of bondservant,
Choosing to take Your place
at my feet!


Touching them
Washing them
Cleansing them.


Cleansing me......


Removing my feet from
the water;
Your once clean hands now stained,
From the dirt and filth
and ilk
That was once on me;


But now transferred 
onto You......

You take the towel from around
Your waist,
And proceed to dry
my feet.


From top to bottom, each and 
every toe;


Slowly
Deliberately
Tenderly
Lovingly.......


Your eyes, with Your sweet
unwavering gaze, 
pierce my heart to its core;


I am overwhelmed......

Overwhelmed by the love I see
in them.


Immense
Amazing
Unfailing
Unconditional


Who am I
that You would do such a thing
for me?


I am a forgiven sinner.


A recipient of Your grace and mercy.


I am Your Beloved. 

Ashes to Ashes

This coming Wednesday, February 22, will mark the beginning of the season of Lent.   On this day, Ash Wednesday, many will attend a church service where ashes, which come from burnt palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday, will be distributed.  Making a sign of the cross with the ashes on each person's forehead, the priest, pastor, elder or whomever is permitted in the particular church to do so, will repeat these words:


"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." 

The meaning behind the distribution of ashes and those words is to remind us of our own mortality and our own sinfulness, while calling us to repentance.  Many people will leave the ashes on their foreheads for the entire day as a symbol of humility.  

Lent is also a season that centers around fasting, generally from a particular food, drink or even an activity, for the forty days before Easter.  Growing up in my former faith denomination, when Lent came around, we were required to fast from something.  So for me at that time, this was merely a ritual I took part in because I HAD to, it was just what you did (or else).  But author Lynn Baab, author of 'Fasting,' speaks of fasting like this:


"We remove something habitual so we can experience something new.  We long for the fullness of God's presence, so we remove something from our life for a season in order to get a glimpse of God, through prayer, in a new way."


At that time, I had no true understanding or view of Lent as being a way for me to draw closer to the heart of God, or as a way of something new about Him being revealed to me. Again, it was simply a tradition to be followed. 

For instance, with regards to Lenten fasting, I’d give up chocolate candy (my personal childhood favorite, which continues to be a guilty pleasure of mine) for those forty days, whine about it the whole time and then on Easter Sunday, I’d gorge myself on chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs until I made myself sick. The condition of my heart, however, remained unchanged: cold, hard, shallow, dark, sinful.  Jesus just wasn’t the priority in my life that He should have been -- and longed to be.  He became merely a blip on my Sunday morning church's or Wednesday afternoon catechism class's radar screen. The beautifully, sorrowful figure of a Man that actor Jeffrey Hunter portrayed in "King of Kings."

Meanwhile, in my warped view, God was that heavenly Father figure Who was always trying to catch me in some act of disobedience and of Whom I was completely terrified, while the Holy Spirit remained this mysterious, ghostly figure to me. Casper sanctified. 

So I did my Lenten duty like the good girl that I was and checked the box "Done" forty days later. My parents were pleased. The teachers from my catechism classes were pleased. But....was the Lord pleased? I’m thinking not so much.

Yes, over the years, Lenten fasting sadly turned out being a torturous duty and drudgery for me; certainly not something I looked forward to and delighted in doing.  Also, for me, there was an underlying theme of fear running through it, especially if one had the misfortune of forgetting oneself and accidentally popped a forbidden food or drink into one's mouth in the midst of the Lenten season.

True confession time here, dear readers.  Once, during Lent, when I was twelve years old, I went to lunch with my older cousin, Charlene.  She ordered a few slices of pizza for herself, while I, not in the mood for pizza,  decided to order an Italian hot dog (and for those of you not from NJ and unfamiliar with this delicacy, it is a hot dog on an Italian roll, smothered with peppers, onions and potatoes). 

It wasn't until after I'd inhaled every last tasty morsel and we were both standing in the parking lot, ready to leave, that the harsh and frightening realization set in:

I had just eaten meat on a Friday during Lent!  

And -- not just ANY  Friday.

But Good Friday!!!!!! 

Needless to say, I became hysterical.  I waited for the skies above to immediately cloud over, for thunder to roar loudly and for God Himself to appear to personally hurl down a hand picked lightening bolt straight at my sinful, preteen head.  Or for the ground to dramatically split open around me, swallow me up and send me hurtling down the fast lane on the Highway to Hell, where I was surely headed after this major Lenten gaffe. 

I tearfully begged my cousin NOT to tell my parents what I had done, how low I had fallen, as I imagined them possibly disowning me or my getting to be the first in my family to be excommunicated from our church.  I feared I'd done what a friend of mine's family (who was rumored to have Mafia ties) used to laughingly warn him not to do: 'Don't disgrace the family.'

I can laugh about this whole scenario now, but really, it's kind of pathetic, because truly, this is NOT how our Father, Who loves us so much, wants us to perceive Him and react towards Him (like some angry, Holy Cop wielding His Divine taser gun), and it's most certainly NOT the way He wants us to view the season of Lent and our place within it.

So, now that I'm older and (hopefully) wiser, what does the season of Lent mean for me? What do I need to take away from or to add to my life, allowing me to focus more intently and joyfully and seriously on my Jesus? How can I prepare myself to hear His voice more clearly, to better understand and to accept anew His messages to me of His unconditional, unfailing love, His amazing grace, His perfect peace, His new-every-day mercies, His complete forgiveness?

Tomorrow, I look forward to being able to share some thoughts and insights with you all about this.  I hope you'll stop by.